The New Beginning
by Reaper-of-Lost-Souls
Summary: Killed at a young age little Yuzuki begins her shinigami life with the Feng family, but in a desperate search to find her brother and make amends will she find time to dedicate herself to the cause of the shinigami? Will a secret she keeps hidden in her soul help she fit in with the great Gotei 13? Set before TB Pendulum arc. KisukeXReader. Adult themes
1. The Feng Family

Bleach © Tite Kubo

OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: Hello there! This is the first time I ever tried to write anything concerning Bleach so I'm sorry if the canon characters are, well, off character. I really tried! I'm just starting out in this fandom. Anyways I noticed Kisuke doesn't get a lot of fanfics so I decided to post this one that I just started writing. I don't know if there will be a sequel, because this story can certainly have a sequel, but… we'll see. I hope I can write more. It'll just depend how my schedule is. I already wrote 18 chapters and if I continue I'll add the sequel here. This is from my 100 challenge and its #6, new love. This isn't **_**exactly~**_** new love… maybe if I finish the sequel it'll be 'new love', but… whatever. It's just a prompt anyways XD **

**This starts long before the Turn Back the Pendulum arc, though it's not too far off. I keep the ages vague just because I **_**really~**_** don't know everything in the storyline, yet, and I'm a stickler for accuracy so I'd rather keep things vague. I made up some things and I have a few OCs, but except for the main character the rest are mostly just filler, a name I can put somewhere for the effect. As I said again I just started reading through this manga/watching the anime and I'm really getting into it! Just the concept of shinigamis and hollows fascinates me. I love that supernatural stuff. I tried getting into Naruto, but… meh I wish I saw Bleach before I tried to watch Naruto for my friend's sake. I just couldn't get into the fandom. Anyways I doubt you want me to bore you. So I'll just finish by saying I do try to write humor, mushy, action, and even sexy scenes. I just have fun with everything as I'm writing! I tend to go overboard with the mush so I apologize for that. Also the storyline did go by a bit quickly so if you got confused with something you can ask me. Other than that… yep I think that's it! ENJOY THE STORY! AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKE THIS!**

! #$%^&*()

"Shaolin-chan! Wait up!" you cried out, chasing after the black haired girl while she giggled, hiding behind a tree and you reached out your hand to grab her clothes. "Shaolin!"

"Yuzuki you need to be faster!" the girl told you, moving back and forth behind the tree while you tried to tag her. Huffing you stepped back, an idea coming to you while you began to walk away. The girl turned her head as she saw you leaving, blinking a few times before snorting and leaning lazily against the tree. "Hah! You give up? That means I win! –"

"Hiyah!" you yelled as you swiftly jumped, your foot hitting her shoulder as you fell on your back and pointed at finger at her dumbfounded face. "Got you!"

"Cheater!"

"I did not cheat! –"

"Shaolin! Yuzuki! Come inside," you both heard a voice calling to the two of you, your vibrant and unusual lilac purple eyes looking over as you stood to your feet and brushed the dirt off of your clothing.

"… I'll admit defeat and say you win," you smirked, your hands on your hips as you walked away and the other girl practically screamed at you.

"No! –"

"Well what is it? Did I win or did you? –"

"You did! –"

"That's what I thought!" you grinned happily at her defeat and she growled, but huffed and turned her head, deciding to let the argument go, for now. "… Sensei," you bowed once you left your sandals outside and walked into the house, the woman giving the two of you a kind hearted smile and smirking at how angry Shaolin seemed to be. "Is it dinner time yet?"

"In fact it is. Can you help Lee with the table? There's something I need to talk about with my daughter."

"Ah huh," you nodded, quickly walking away, knowing full well certain family matters had to be kept, well, secret.

When you died at the age of five you were welcomed into the family of the Feng. You were a playmate to their youngest, Shaolin, but you were a year older then her. While you loved being accepted by this new family, having the privileges of living within the Seireitei interior, you still felt… lonely. You were starting your training into becoming a formable warrior to the shinigami organization, but you wish you could find someone you knew from your past life, preferably your brother. While he was younger then you and actually reminded you of Shaolin sometimes, you knew he was here somewhere since you both died at the same time. You were mature enough to understand things happen and a cold stormy night led to your downfall. You felt at fault. It was your fault he died and you wanted to protect him. Who knows what trouble he could be in at the Soul Society? Plus where could he be? He's probably in the exterior somewhere and it's so vast you wouldn't be able to truly search every crevice of the place. You weren't even allowed outside of this estate unless you were accompanying Shaolin. You found it funny that you were the one to accompany her even though you had died in the worst shame possible… at least that's how you felt. Here you were being taught that you must put your life on the line for your master, to never give up even if it means your end. You must complete the mission, always. Never surrender to defeat.

Luckily you weren't the only orphan at the household. You were like one of those worker bees that helped the hive function. Yet you were still lonely here… and once nighttime had fallen you could finally have time to yourself. So you sat outside, underneath the shade of the roof, looking at the koi fish swim in their little pond, watching the water trickle around and never stop flowing under the pale moonlight. "… Yuzuki can I talk to you?" you heard a familiar voice and you smiled, looking up at the black haired girl with gray eyes as she sat down beside you, looking out over the wall and into the horizon. "So… I was told something and I need some advice."

"What's the problem?" you asked softly, though your eyes weren't on her and rather at your feet and the water below.

"Tousan and Kaasan sat me down and told me my life's mission is to serve the Shihoin family the rest of my days, but… I-I'm not sure if I want to," she sighed deeply and you smirked to yourself and put your pale forehead against the wood post in front of you.

"… From my own personal experience, one must push back their thoughts and emotions for others. I am haunted over the fact that I failed my family and I couldn't complete what I was set out in the world to do," you spoke solemnly and the girl looked over at you with a confused look on her face.

"What's that?"

"Well… The Torayasu family, when I was human, is supposed to protect a noble family, whose name shall not be uttered," you told her and she nodded her head, a content smile coming to your face and you let out a sigh. "I had just started my training and my brother wanted to go outside, even though it was dark, a-and I said yes and… we died."

"I'm so sorry –"

"I failed in protecting that family, protecting my brother," you huffed before turning to her and smiling vaguely, "which is why I am grateful this family accepted me. I am a failure and yet you guys let me live… I shouldn't be here. I failed."

"It was probably an accident –"

"Sure, but I **did** fail. As concerning you I still think loyalty is key. Where does your heart lie: with your own family and the shame you could bring upon them or the family you wish to serve whole heartedly even if it hurts?... Well… I think I should say goodnight Shaolin-chan. I'm sorry if my story upsets you –"

"It's alright. We never asked about your past anyways," she smiled and you smiled back, giving one last glance at the fish before standing up, sighing deeply to yourself, and walking back to the bedroom they kindly gave to you to use.

! #$%^&*()

)(*&^%$# !

"So I have to call you Sui from now on?" you asked innocently and the girl nodded her head. "… And you plan on leaving? –"

"Yes, yes, and yes. Are you done Yuzuki? –"

"N-no! What am I supposed to do now?! Shaolin-chan you're my best friend! H-how can you abandon me?"

"I'm not abandoning you –"

"You are! –"

"No… I was going to ask if you want to come with me," she told you, your eyes widening in shock before the shock faded away to be replaced with a content smile.

"Oh… I'm sorry for my sudden outburst –"

"That's alright." The two of you exchanged nervous chuckles, eventually sighing in defeat as you began to walk away, the girl following you curiously while you reached up and plucked a peach off of one of the many trees that lined the garden.

"… If you're going to change your name, then I want to also!" you giggled as she gave you a curious look as you munched on the plump fruit.

"Y-you don't have to do that –"

"Sure I do! Besides I used to go by the name Zuki," you smiled innocently, pushing back your black hairs as you did so, "a-and I've been too afraid to say it."

"Oh… well," she smirked. "Then yeah! Zuki and Sui will be the best officers ever!"

"You said it!" you clapped your hands and giggled happily, glad Shaolin, now Sui you supposed, wasn't going to leave you behind. You already lost your family and you certainly didn't to lose anyone else, if you could help it.

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! #$%^&*()

"Hiiiayah!" you yelled as you spun your leg in a roundhouse kick, but Sui easily grabbed your ankle and sent you into the ground. You huffed, quickly scrambling to your feet, swiping your foot at her leg, but she jumped up, just as your hand came down and was caught by her own. "Damn it!" you cursed as you pushed her away, huffy pants leaving your breath while the girl smirked happily with her new victory.

"_Tired Zuki~?_"

"Not… yet… I just got too greedy," you snorted, standing to your feet and brushing some sweat off of your brow before a smirk formed on your lips and she gave you a curious look. "You just want to impress the elders, don't you?"

"Well this is my family name on the line," she huffed and you smirked while you put your body into a defensive position.

"So is mine, but at least I'm 'thinking outside of the box'."

"Where does that lead you anyways? –"

"Best to find out," you grinned deviously and she snorted, rushing at you while you took a solid stance, your lilac gaze glowing through your long banged black hairs. She went for a hit to your shoulder, but you easily pushed away the attack and aimed your own fist towards her chest. You hit her shoulder and she jumped back, letting out a yell and you narrowed your eyes. In a flash she seemed to have disappeared, but your senses were quicker and you felt her presence behind you as she aimed to elbow you between the shoulder blades. You spun, grabbing her elbow with your palm, and she snarled while you smirked, jabbing her in the ribs before jumping back. "Geeze you're faster than I thought. How in the world did you get better?"

"Training, duh! Plus I'm trying really hard," she responded with a look on her face you've seen in yourself many times, a sigh leaving your lips and you completely let your body loosen.

"Let's take a break," you smiled, walking away without a second thought while she sighed and followed you. You sat down at a small table that already had some tea prepared, filling up two cups and setting one aside for Sui to grab, drinking the other one down as quickly as possible to quench your thirst and refilled your cup. "… So how is everything?"

"Fine," she snorted to herself. "… What about you?"

"Tiresome," you chuckled, sitting down on the steps as she did the same, "and training with the guys is boring. They can't even throw a good punch! When they do it's like they forget what they had learned that day. It gets a tad annoying when that happens since my foe is weaker then I am."

"Hmm…"

"… Did you see that Shihoin yet?" you asked curiously and Sui shook her head.

"No, not yet. I think it will be soon… if I work harder."

"You're fine Sui-chan," you smirked to yourself and sipped your tea. "I'll confess you're probably better than I am."

"I doubt that –"

"You need more confidence in yourself," you snorted. "You're always pushing yourself down."

"… How can you sense me so easily?" she huffed and you gave her a curious look. "I was working on that technique for so long!"

"I've had… a natural sense of my surroundings," you shrugged. "Plus… I-I don't know," you chuckled lightly, "but the more I look for my zanpakuto the more… I feel weird," you pouted.

"Weird?" Sui blinked. "How?"

"Ah… I-I don't know. I just feel like I'm staring off into a different space and time, so dark and hot, filled with a frightening feeling that scares me. Yet it's comforting. It's strange. And the more I look deep into myself," you continued with a smile on your face, "the more my senses seem to open up like a flower in bloom."

"Huh… how odd."

"What about you?"

"Me?! Ah… I haven't really looked," she answered truthfully and you smirked and looked away.

"That's probably why you're better with those fighting techniques then I am," you snickered and stood up to set your cup back down. "Now are you up for one more round or should we prepare ourselves for that important meeting or whatever?"

"… I'm up for one more round," she smirked and you grinned happily, watching her put her cup down while you walked to the other side of the courtyard to get ready for the practice brawl.

! #$%^&*()

"I can't believe this," you grumbled under your breath, looking down at your new attire in disgust as you walked through the hallway, feeling awfully short. You were forced into a red outfit, dressed up like a student, and you continued to grumble and complain to yourself just because Sui wasn't here to be with you. You felt out of place. Even when you were human you never took 'classes' and simply trained your mind and body. Now you are here, enrolled at the Shin'o Academy, and you didn't understand why. Did the Feng household feel the need to disown you? Did you not serve them well?... Since you are still living with them you figured that wasn't the case, but you still wondered why you were here instead of with Sui like you should be.

A few years had gone by since you first came here. Now you looked to be about eight, perhaps nine, but you felt short next to the teenager looking students or even the grownups. While Sui was employed into the Onmitsukido you were stuck here, training with shinigamis that may in fact be lower in natural skills then you are. Your fighting skills have been polished and while you still cannot fully hear the zanpakuto you knew was there… Maybe that's why you were sent here? You've been having troubles for a year now and nothing in your abilities has improved. You felt like Sui has been leaving you behind just because your senses felt… hindered somehow.

Yet as the day wore on you felt… happy, gleeful in fact. Even though you excelled there were places you needed work on, and the entire first day you were wiping the floor with your peers. Hakuda was easy enough. It was the training you were hounded on with the Fengs. Hoho was a little harder, but compared to your own peers you were better at it than them. You knew Sui beat you when it comes to moving quicker then lightning, but you could sense those attacks better then she could so at least you had that under your obi. Zanjutsu was another technique you easily excelled at. The art of fighting either with or without a weapon was trained into your blood and marrow ever since you could walk, so holding a sword was easy. Also another training technique you've been working on. Yet the last and final basic fighting style, kido, was something you had trouble with. Kido was spiritual reiryoku used to create spells and other sorts of magical properties. One second you wouldn't use enough and the next you would use too much. Your reiryoku was all over the place and you couldn't understand why!

By the end of the day you kind of felt accomplished, but realized you'll have to work on your reiryoku control if you're ever going to master, or at least know, the art of kido. Maybe this was why you are sent here, to realize what skills you need to work on and other skills you excel at. Like the head strong overachiever that you are you wanted to master kido, even if it takes you all six years to do so. While you were nervous over what was to come you were certainly excited to start learning things you could only imagine understanding.

You let out a content sigh once you reached the 2nd division's gates, realizing that you'd have to walk the length of four divisions just to get home. You'll have to polish those hoho techniques so you can get home faster! "Hello!" you called up to the guards at the top. "Torayasu Zuki of the Feng household, requesting entrance!"

"Ah Zuki! What's up?!"

"How was the academy?!" you heard the two guards ask and you smirked, their friendliness certainly a change to the stiff air that had been floating over your head.

"Great! I'm horrible at kido!"

"Hah! You have seven years to get better at that!"

"Good luck!"

"Thanks guys!" you grinned, sighing happily once the door finally opened and you were let inside. While rushing your way home you came to an abrupt stop, noticing Sui practicing with her zanpakuto… and who was that weird purple haired woman beside her? "… Sui! Hey!" you yelled, waving at her. You watched as she turned to you and dropped her weapon to the ground in shock, causing the woman beside her to laugh before waving you over to approach. "Hello ma'am," you bowed your head and the woman could only smirk.

"Are you Zuki?" she asked and you looked up at her, completely shocked she knew your name.

"Ah… y-yes –"

"Hah! I knew it! Sui-Feng this is your little friend isn't it?!"

"Y-yes Yoruichi-sama –"

"You're Shihoin Yoruichi?! Oh! I'm sorry for my disrespect!" you bowed your head again, this time lower, but this made the purple haired woman laugh and she rustled up your hair, a yelp leaving your lips and you jumped backward, trying to straighten out your hair.

"You're an amusing girl."

"T-thank you," you blushed and she smirked as your eyes drifted to Sui, noticing how uncomfortable she is.

"You're going to the academy?"

"Just started today," you chuckled, scratching the back of your head. "I feel bad. I should know you by now, but I've never seen you –"

"No reason to apologize! Say, how about we head home for dinner and we talk about your classes?" the Shihoin woman stated and you thought for a quick moment, wondering if you should decline, but heck this is the head of the Shihoin family so how could you refuse?!

"Sure Shihoin-sempai! If you're sure –"

"Not at all! Call me Yoruichi. I prefer that name."

"Then call Zuki," you told her with a smile, the woman grinning happily as you shook her hand and Sui quickly picked up her zanpakuto, giving you a slight glare and you shrugged your shoulders, quietly asking her what you did wrong.

! #$%^&*()

Yoruichi was laughing heartedly, slamming her hand on the table while you sat across from Sui and Sui seemed to be scooting further away from Yoruichi so she wouldn't get hit by a flying hand or a pair of chopsticks. "Y-yeah I need to work on my kido," you innocently finished and you watched her put down the cup in her hand to lean over the table.

"It's just your first day. You'll get better Zuki."

"Y-yeah, but it's still frustrating that I'm having trouble mastering it!"

"Just like Sui-Feng!" she snickered and grabbed for a full bowl of noodles, which she practically inhaled and set the bowl down on a pile next to her. "Mastering an art takes time. Trust me!"

"I know Yoruichi," you smiled, the woman grinning that you called her 'Yoruichi' instead of using some formal term and you set the cup of tasty tea you were drinking with a content sigh. Boy, the woman may be your superior but she was rather loud and rambunctious. You had no problems with that! Just… you weren't used to this sort of treatment. "… So how are you doing? How's the Onmitsukido, if you don't mind me asking?" you chuckled nervously, but the purple haired woman let out a huff and she set her newly finished bowl down.

"_Let's see~_… Had a little problem in Rukongai this morning, but it's been worked out," Yoruichi shrugged and your nodded your head. "… What's with that _thoughtful~_ look on your face?"

"I-I was just thinking!" you smiled weakly and she gave you a smirk.

"Trying to pry information out of me, _hmm~?_ –"

"Not at all! I was just wondering what you guys do. I-I have been training to join the Onmitsukido, you see," you told her and she gave you a curious look. "While the Gotei 13 wouldn't be too bad just the Onmitsukido reminds me of my life back in the human world."

"Oh? How so?" the woman asked with an intrigued look on her face and you noticed Sui's unsure face, either because you mentioned your past or because she knew this was a touchy subject for you, but since you weren't in a mad mood you decided to explain.

"Well I was brought up with the mentality of protecting a household, following a master. I-it was just the way I was brought up… and when I do think about it," you continued solemnly, "it was kind of nice for me because it gave me a reason to push forward and never give up on myself. I knew deep down if I did give up I'd be letting those I care about down. I had to be strong no matter what and push whatever feelings on the matter aside… So living here with the Feng family made me realize how much I regret leaving my life so soon and I wish I could go back. That's why I would like to join Onmitsukido, but also because I owe a debt to the Fengs for letting me stay with them," you smiled in conclusion, your eyes on Sui, and she blushed at your last comment and looked away at a nearby wall.

"Hmm… you remind me of a friend of mine," she stated before grinning and patting you on the head, causing you to look at her in surprise and shock. "Good for you! You know the Gotei 13 do have captains and lieutenants you follow."

"Sure, but it's just not the same," you sighed and she shook her head.

"At least you have a resolve. Now who wants ice cream?! I'm craving some ice cream right now!"

"I-ice cream? Sure! Why not?!" you giggled and Sui sighed, but noticing Sui's unsure looks, while Yoruichi's back was turned, you threw a chopstick at Sui's face and she snapped her head at you, completely startled and red in the face. You grinned deviously and you heard Yoruichi laughing at something, but you couldn't figure out if it was at you or the conversation she was having with one of the bodyguards standing behind her.


	2. The Discovery

Bleach © Tite Kubo

OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: Meh. I decided to post a new chapter already even though barely a day has passed since I posted the first chapter. Anyways this is still kind of the introductions and where characters fit into the main storyline. If you're wondering when Kisuke shows up he'll make his appearance in chapter 3 so don't worry! He's in this! XD I'll certainly try to put in some action scenes, but I've noticed I'm mostly just paraphrasing or talking about what happened or what will happen. Sorry about that in advance. So… yeah. ENJOY!**

! #$%^&*()

"Oh come on! Why can't I get this?!" you cursed yourself, slamming your fist into the nearest wall. Everyone's eyes turned to you as you caused the earth to shake and smashed a hole into the white wall, but you didn't care. You were angry, frustrated, and this was your fifty ninth time trying the simplest technique in kido in the past half hour. This was truly draining your reiryoku and you were close to passing out.

"Zuki –"

"I give up! Screw this class!" you yelled and left without another word, your feet cracking the tiles beneath your feet while you hurried into the building and you slumped your head against a pillar in an empty hallway, grumbling under your breath and trying to rub the frustration out of your head. "Stupid… little… damn it!" you snarled, but your growling was interrupted by a cough and you turned your head lazily to the sound, your eyes widened in shock and your anger left you like a raging river. "Haruto!?" you practically shrieked, jumping towards him and grabbing him in a tight hug.

The confused black haired boy with bright tangerine orange eyes smirked at who was grabbing him and began to laugh heartedly. "Yu-yuu, hey!"

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" you cried out, hugging him so tightly one would think you were strangling the life out of him, but he happily returned the favor, but at the same time he began to pull you away towards the doors so the two of you wouldn't be interrupting any classes or angering any teachers.

Eventually he pulled you outside into an almost empty courtyard and he patted you on the head, sitting the two of you down on a bench while you cried your guts out and slumped lazily on his shoulder in defeat. "… I was hoping I would see you here. Figured you'd end up in a place like this," that brother of your mumbled solemnly, but he certainly seemed taller then you, how unusual, but you were too happy to care at the moment.

"W-where… did they send you?"

"District 25 in West Rukongai," he chuckled before sighing deeply. "What about you?"

"T-they sent me to the Feng family. I live in the 2nd Division's complex," you told him, his eyes looking over at you a little confused before he smirked and nudged you in the shoulder.

"Should have expected that. No wonder I couldn't find you."

"I-I'm sorry. I feel so bad! Your death is my fault! –"

"No," he snorted, covering your face with his hand before you could finish, causing you to grumble and curse and lash at his hand, scratching him in the process like a feisty cat, but he continued to smirk happily, glad to see nothing bad happened to you. "I was the one who wanted to go out that night. You insisted on following me to make sure I was okay."

"Of course. I'm your sister after all," you huffed back, pushing his hand away and biting down on his finger. "What sort of sibling would I be if I couldn't do something so simple?... Which is why I am to blame for our deaths –"

"For the last time no," he snarled, getting irritated as you gnawed on his finger and caused a trickle of blood to form. "I thought it over and it's certainly my fault – Can you let go of my finger already?!"

"Not until you admit defeat!" you grinned deviously, the boy ripping his hand away from you and lunging, but you easily evaded his attack with a giggle on your lips and after rolling around in the dirt you both ended up back on the bench, the excitement certainly putting you back in a good mood.

Haruto couldn't help but smile at you; after all he's been looking for you ever since you were given a different ticket and was sent off to a different place. He had died minutes after you, but missed you completely. He felt bad, but also relieved because now he didn't have to worry about masters or anything like that. He could do what he wanted… and his first mission was to find you and he knew the exact place you would eventually pop up would probably be with the head strong squad members or at least in the school. Now that he found you he put his worries to rest. "… So were you the one yelling over there?"

"Kido is starting to piss me off," you growled and he snickered and patted you on the head, but that only made your growls increase tenfold.

"It's not that hard –"

"Oh come on! Even my _little~ brother_ is better than me?! This isn't right!"

"Yu –"

"No! I will not accept this!" you huffed, standing on top of the bench with a fiery passion in your velvet eyes, but all the boy could do is laugh at you and grab you by the arm, shoving you back in your seat.

"I have problems with hoho and it's only our fourth month here. No need to get snippy –"

"You have problems at hoho? How could you call yourself a Torayasu!?" you growled and he tried to pat you on the head, but you easily moved away from his hand and continued to snarl at him.

"Ah… Yuzuki calm down –"

"It's not Yuzuki anymore. I changed my name to Zuki now," you told him solemnly, deciding it was about time you did calm down, and he huffed, looking at a nearby clock and noticing his next class would be in another few minutes.

"… I came here to find you," he began solemnly, "and now that I have I can return home –"

"W-wait now? You're just giving up?! –"

"No! I completed what I wanted to do. It was to find you! So… I did. There is no reason for me to stick around."

"… B-but –"

"But I will because if I don't you'll leave me in the dust," he sighed deeply and his words made you smirk. "… Oneechan, kido is fairly simple for us once we find our inner peace. Don't you remember the teachings of yin and yang? Once we calm the chaos inside of our hearts we can do anything… We have problems because our reiryoku flows out of us like a raging river, but once we calm that river and let only a soft stream flow then kido will come as easy as breathing or swimming. Get it?"

"The same can be said for hoho little one," you huffed, but you had a smile on your face as you talked and he happily smiled back.

"Right… So where's your dorm? –"

"I walk here from the Feng family's estate. I'll just see you tomorrow," you told him, standing to your feet, and he stood up, knowing you wanted to stay but felt the urge to leave.

"Okay. Tomorrow then," he smiled weakly, watching you leave and letting out a content sigh over finally finding you after all of these years.

! #$%^&*()

)(*&^%$# !

"… Shakkaho!" you yelled, sending out a small flaming red energy ball out of your hands, a _**'tisk'**_ leaving your lips and you put your hands back together, putting yourself in a determined stance. "… Hado 31, Shakkaho!" This time the energy was so big it exploded in your face, sending you flying backward and you ended up on your back. "… God damn!" you groaned, blinking your eyes a few times before standing back to your feet, a defeated sigh leaving your lips and you scratched the back of your head. Your problem was that your reiryoku was all over the place. One moment it would be too much and the next you wouldn't have enough energy to send out a good blast. You needed to find a balance, your center… hmm…

You close your eyes, letting a soft huff leave your nose, your hands pointed in front of your face as you let your mind wander deep into your brain. Breath softly… remember your training… This isn't that hard. You just have to think calmly and you'll get the hang of this. "One step at a time," you mumbled to yourself, opening your eyes and standing up a little straighter as you stared at the training dummy with determination on your face. "Ye lord," you spoke softly. "Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south. Hado 31, Shakkaho!" you finished with a yell, letting the fire ball leave your fingertips, and you watched as the dummy exploded into a fiery burst, a triumphant smirk appearing on your lips until you heard –

"Yuki! Go to school already!"

"Yes sensei!" you yelled at the house behind you, quickly grabbing a pail of water and dumping it on the fire while you ran to gather your things and rushed towards the gates. You looked at your watch and bit down on your bottom lip. "Well… at least I finally understand this kido thing!" you giggled happily, skipping as you dashed. If you just kept working at it maybe you could even kick Haruto and Sui's butts one day and that hope certainly fueled your success, but right now you had to get to your first class and you were almost late!

With the use of your skills in hoho you just barely made it before the bell rung, a sigh leaving your breath while you sat in the back of the class, just close enough that you could hear and not worry too much about having to answer a question or be a distraction. You were never good on the spot. Most of the time you had to guess off of the top of your head even if you did know the information, somewhere in that brain of yours. "Okay class. Today we will be talking about one's zanpakuto and how to listen to its name."

Oh right, you reminded yourself. While learning the four basic fighting styles was an important thing to do, you still should at least try to hear your inner voice, your zanpakuto. Yet whenever you did you felt a horrible feeling erupting in your chest, like a vibrant fire that grew hotter and hotter till it scolded your skin. You didn't want to admit this… but you were afraid of finding that face of your zanpakuto. Whenever you looked you were always transported to some dark place in your mind and the air got hot and heavy, like a furnace. You suffocated when breathing your own air… but maybe you just had to try harder? Maybe you had to build up the courage to keep looking, to at least search for that face that seemed to be leering at you whenever you used your reiryoku. You had to at least try, if not for your sake, but the sake of everyone you cared about: the Feng family, Sui… Haruto and even Yoruichi. You had to learn to protect them and while your circle of people you cared about was small, you still had an incentive to keep pushing forward and trying to find yourself. Well, as you thought about it, once you actually began to calm yourself down you could use your reiryoku properly. Maybe that's what you had to do with finding your zanpakuto… You should talk to Haruto about this.

Once your classes were out and you finally had lunch you walked over to Haruto, sitting beside him as he chatted with some friends he made during his stay here. "Who's the hottie? –"

"That's my sister dingus!" your brother yelled, but you snickered and nudged him in the shoulder.

"No need to be snippy! Hello, I'm Yuki."

"Hello. I'm Ryouji and this is Araki and Jin."

"Hey."

"Hello."

"Hi!"

"So what do you need?" Haruto pouted and you smirked deviously while leaning on the table, looking at him like the stalking predator that you are.

"I wanted to ask about finding your inner zanpakuto," you said simply. "See, I'm starting to get the hang of kido and such, but I just can't… find my zanpakuto."

"What do you mean? –"

"Well I mean I look, I truly mean look in my mind, but all I'm faced with is a nervous feeling and helpless dread."

"Oh…"

"Yeah," you snorted, ignoring the looks you were getting from his friends, "and most of the time I wake up in a horrible sweat. Is that normal?"

"I don't think so," the boy named Araki stated and you pouted, slumping onto the table and letting out an exasperated groan.

"Well with those fire types of zanpakuto I hear that's a possibility," Jin decided to say and you gave him a kind smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I believe my zanpakuto is of a static electricity variety," Ryouji stated, "and whenever I look for my zanpakuto's name I constantly feel surges of energy flowing through me."

"Huh. Makes sense!"

"Say Zuki, h-how about we discuss this later?" Haruto asked quietly and you could tell by the look on his face that he had something urgent to tell you, in private.

"Sure," you shrugged as you stood up. "Sorry for wasting your time –"

"You don't have to go!" Ryouji said, causing your brother to huff in disgust.

"Yeah! Stay for a while!" Jin responded and you smiled and sat back down.

"Well if you're going to offer I don't see why I should decline! Is this okay with you?"

"… Whatever," Haruto snorted, slumping into the table, causing his friends to laugh at him and you just smiled kindly, deciding to keep up a nice impression instead of a foul one.

)(*&^%$# !

"So the great _Haruto of the badasses~_ is walking me home," you smirked darkly and the boy beside you huffed, ignoring your obvious taunting.

"… A conversation about our zanpakuto isn't something you should bring up so suddenly, with others."

"Well I had to ask," you shrugged your shoulders. "You have a keener eye than I. So what's up?"

"Ah… I know how much you want to strengthen yourself, but you shouldn't be so quick about it."

"Oh yeah?" you snarled in disgust. "Why not? If I don't Sui-Feng will leave me behind and trust me bub, I'm not going to let that happen."

"What I mean is… I've seen your zanpakuto in action, rather I know what is inside of your soul," he sighed deeply and you gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… when we were human. You had a strong spirit and while I always marveled at your strength I knew something was wrong."

"_Like~?_"

"… You know that night when there was that fire in our bedroom? How father said it was like the room burnt from the inside out? Everyone said it must have been an assassin, but I knew better."

"W-what do you mean? –"

"What happened was that you were mumbling in your sleep over some dream and then suddenly you started burning up. I freaked out! You burnt down the building Yu… s-so it was you who burnt everything down. That's why I told you to be careful. I was scared."

"O-oh –"

"But now that we live here I understand what happened," he continued simply. "That must have been your zanpakuto or maybe something else, I don't know. Just… be careful. I don't want you burning up along with your soul if you use your reiryoku too quickly. Just remember to always stay calm, peaceful, like a tiger waiting from the bushes before it strikes its prey. Okay?"

"Fine," you grumbled, the gears in your mind still winding as you started to realize why you've been having such a hard time controlling your reiryoku, "but Haru."

"Yes? –"

"The same can be said for you," you snorted and he smirked, nodding his head simply, and he stopped once he noticed the large 2nd division sign at the end of the road. "… I noticed you changed your last name."

"I-I figured it was best," he chuckled nervously, reluctantly following behind you like the little brother that he was. "If I'm not going to follow in my family's footsteps I shouldn't keep my family name, right?"

"I wouldn't care –"

"Besides, I do want to start fresh," he grinned and nudged you in the arm. "If anyone knows I know someone from the 2nd division I'll be ostracized."

"_Oh boy~. Sorry~~_ for getting into your way," you grumbled and he ended up laughing.

"Bye Zuki."

"Bye Haruto," you waved, sighing deeply as you knocked on the gate to get the attention of the guards up above, your thoughts still thinking of his words and you realized maybe you shouldn't jump head first all the time. You did need to calm down… just a little bit.

)(*&^%$# !

"Zuki?" you heard a familiar voice call, noticing you were in the middle of the garden that would act as a training ground for combat, your legs folded with your hands sitting dandily on your knees. "What are you doing?"

"… Meditating," you spoke simply, opening one vibrant eye before opening the other, noticing Sui was staring at you with a stunned look on her face and you couldn't help but smirk deviously. "What are you doing around these parts? I thought you're living with Shihoin-sama."

"I-I am… but I was homesick," she answered you honestly, knowing full well you would see through her lies. You grinned, closing your eyes once again, and she gave you a curious look. "What are you doing sitting here so calmly?"

"I realized why I have a hard time with my reiryoku," you told her. "I overexert myself. I'm naturally like that, I suppose, so I figured I need to meditate and calm myself down a bit. Maybe everything will actually start working correctly if I do that."

"… So how's the training?" she asked curiously, sitting by your side, but not too close to bother you.

"Fine," you smirked, giving the boring meditation a rest and huffing as you roughly put your palms on your knees, startling her, and you gave her a devious look. "The only skill I have issues learning is kido, but I think with some time I'll _get~_ it. What about you?"

"I'm doing alright," Sui answered and noticed you weren't getting back to your training, pouting that you stopped just to talk to her. "Ah… actually… I kind of miss being home."

"I get that," you nodded. "Being with people you love can be a breath of fresh air to a busy work environment. So are you actually doing the fun stuff or are you stuck in the buildings all day with nothing to do?"

"Actually I am out doing field work, but mainly just to keep an eye on Shihoin-sama."

"Ah. I understand," you answered and she gave you a startled look.

"You're not going to start accusing me of being a weakling or something? –"

"Oh you are," you smirked deviously, "because I _am~_ older," you chuckled, causing the girl to snort and growl at your obvious taunting, "… but as I've said, I'm trying to calm myself down so I can feel my zanpakuto… Though I am afraid of taking the next step."

"Why? –"

"If I do I may accidently burn everything down," you pouted. "I-I don't think I can handle it if I do something like that… again."

"Again? –"

"My human life. Apparently I burned down a building without realizing it," you shrugged, her eyes looking at you curiously before sighing and scratching the back of her head. "… What about your zanpakuto? Did you find its name yet?"

"Nope and it's horribly frustrating."

"At least I'm not the only one who needs practice," you chuckled, her eyes brightening at your kind hearted giggles and her lips turned neutral, solemn and unreadable.

"… You know Zuki, if you want me to try to get you into some actual work around the division I could ask Shihoin-sama for you."

"Up to you," you shrugged your shoulders, your eyes looking towards the grass, "because until I truly have control over my zanpakuto I don't think I'll be comfortable out in the field. I don't want to make mistakes that could cost the success of an important mission."

"I get that," she nodded and you nodded back, letting out a grumbled sigh as you flopped to the ground, putting your hands behind your back as you stared up lazily at the sky. "… C-can I ask one more thing?"

"Sure –"

"Is that Kouta Haruto guy your boyfriend or something?" she asked innocently and your eyes looked at her with shock before you started laughing heartedly and rolling in the grass.

"Haruto and I? Are you crazy?! Oh god no!" you laughed and she gave you a confused look.

"What's so funny? –"

"Haruto is that annoying little brother of mine I mentioned a while back," you told her with a content look on your face. "He felt it was necessary to change his last name. He didn't feel like he should hold the title of Torayasu anymore."

"Oh… I-I didn't know. I've just seen him come by the gate a few times with you so I thought…"

"… He tries to act more like a big brother then a little one," you snorted. "He's just a little snot nose kid, but then again so are you."

"Hey! –"

"He's the same age as you," you shrugged, "just making a statement."

"… It may be a while before I come back again," she told you simply, though you could hear in her voice that there was a deep distress about being apart from her family and friends for so long. "If I don't die on my next missions I want to see what you've learned when I get back."

"Just as long as you give me a large chocolate cake or a big bag of sweets when I win I could care less," you smirked deviously and she snorted at your arrogance.

"**I'll mop the floor with you.**"

"_I'll like to see you try~_" you sneered, eventually a laugh leaving your lips at the angry and determined look on Sui's face, so you flicked her in the forehead and she yelped while swatting your hand away. "See you later Sui-chan."

"Bye Zuki," she sighed, walking into the house and you huffed, closing your eyes and deciding to get back to work.


	3. The Training Grounds

Bleach © Tite Kubo

OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls

**A/N: Meh. I was bored today so I decided to review another chapter before posting it up. More fun time with Yuzuki and Haruto! And Kisuke finally makes an appearance, even if it's a brief one. I was also thinking of changing the title of this story, but… I don't know into what, yet. So if you guys have any ideas don't be afraid to comment! Well I hope you guys enjoy this and I'll SEE YOU IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT!**

! #$%^&*()

"H-haru? –"

"I found the perfect spot to practice," he told you in a whisper as if it was this top secret spot no one could ever find. "You won't have to worry about burning a civilian by accident. Besides, I know quite well you've been holding back on your training because you're afraid."

"… I-I don't know –"

"We have a week off for vacation. Please Yu?" he asked innocently, his bright eyes blinking like a whimpering puppy and you snorted, punching him in the face, a yell leaving his breath while wandering eyes began to look over at the two of you.

"… Fine," you grumbled and he clapped his hands together, "but you owe me," you glared. "I don't know how I'll explain this to the Feng."

"Just be honest and you shouldn't have troubles –"

"You don't get it," you huffed. "They act like… our **own** family," you told him and he puckered his lips.

"Well… fine. Just meet me by the west gate at seven tomorrow."

"Okay," you answered simply, the two of you departing while you decided it would be best just to walk home. You sighed, clutching a bag in your hands since you've begun to actually start writing notes down over information you didn't quite understand. Mainly you were trying to get your thoughts together while school took place, trying to figure out the best approach in finding your zanpakuto. While you did like being alone at times, training and combat did help the results come quicker, but should you continue to do that to yourself? You truly did need time to think things over and you were trying to take Haruto's advise and calm yourself down and take things slow… but how can you when you think about falling behind Sui and that you cannot protect her?! "This is just too complicated," you snorted, scratching the back of your head and grumbling under your breath.

You paused at the 2nd division gates, staring at the number and how large the complex really was. You had been freed by your vow to protect by dying and coming here, but now you're just going to fall back into that role once again? What exactly are you fighting for? You need to figure this out and soon. "Torayasu Zuki of the Feng household… requesting entrance!"

"Where's the enthusiasm?!" you heard one of the guards state, a snort leaving your lips and you could hear them laughing.

"Just let me in Ooka!" you huffed, the man waving you off and you let out a low growl. "What's your problem pest?!"

"Don't tell me you're turning into one of those saps!" he laughed and you snarled.

"Just let me in!"

You heard them bickering and your crossed your arms over your chest, grumbling under your breath until the doors suddenly opened and you sighed contently. "Thanks!" you yelled at them, though they couldn't hear you, but as you began to walk in you noticed a lone man dressed in the standard Onmitsukido outfit, though he let his long messy blonde hair out and his gray eyes stared at you instantly. You blushed. He probably overheard you as you yelled at the guards at the top of the wall. "Good evening," you bowed and oddly enough he gave you a pleasant smile and bowed back.

"Good evening," he greeted you simply and left, his eyes turning to you as he walked away and you huffed, quickly making your way inside so you could come up with your explanation to the Fengs.

! #$%^&*()

"But tomorrow you shall go on your first mission. Isn't this what you've been working for?" you heard the man say, your head low to the ground while you were scolded by the man.

"I-I know, but until I learn how to control my zanpakuto I won't feel comfortable going out into the field," you told them, looking your head up so you were staring at the man, "and I made a promise. I keep my promises."

"… This will bring us great dishonor."

"I will personally apologize in the morning," you told them, though you knew you'd be late if you didn't show up to the gate at exactly seven. Maybe you could get someone to deliver a message for you? "… But this is something I must do. I am sorry."

"Don't expect another opportunity to come your way –"

"I know the consequences for my actions, but while I could probably hold my own with a normal zanpakuto, if an emergency arrives I doubt I am ready for the demand. Please, master, let me go."

You heard the man sigh, but after looking to his wife he gave you a nod. "You've certainly changed over the past year. Yes you may go for the week, but I want you back in six days. Go talk to Lady Shihoin right now while she still has ears to hear."

You looked a bit shock, but there was nothing you could do. So you huffed softly and said, "Yes sir," and stood to your feet, quickly leaving the house. You dressed yourself up in a black yukata with lavender and purple flower prints that matched the brighter tone of your eyes. You wrapped a black obi around your waist, tying the bow behind your back, and you honestly didn't care about being completely presentable. You just wanted to get the job done quickly. You knew the Fengs wouldn't want you to dress in their attire and you shouldn't walk around like you're actually working. The best you could do is dress in common clothing and since they gave you this outfit to wear on certain occasions you figured the best time to wear it was now. So after tying your hair back into a bun you took off, hustling as you made the long trip from the Feng house to the Shihoin house, hoping Sui doesn't see you and hear your horrible decline.

You rushed up the steps, knocked on the door, waited for the guards to let you in and after five minutes you were finally let in. Much to your dismay Sui was there with Shihoin-sama, but there was another man there that felt oh so familiar. "Ah! Zuki! What are you doing here?! That's a very cute yukata."

"T-thanks. It was just lying around," you told her, but you walked the long aisle to the trio and knelt down before bowing your head. "Yoruichi m-may I speak with you about something… please?"

"Of course," she smirked, but instead of leaving like you had hoped she stayed put and you could only let out a grumbling sigh.

"… So here's the thing. I heard from my master that you wish to send me out on a mission, but I'm not ready for that Lady Shihoin a-and I was actually planning on training tomorrow so… I'm sorry," you bowed your head even lower to the ground, waiting for an answer, but as you heard Yoruichi laughing you bit down on your bottom lip and pouted to yourself.

"There's nothing to be sorry about! If I knew you had other plans I wouldn't have suggested anything," she stated and you lifted your head, giving her a confused look while she grinned deviously. "May I ask _what~_ you'll be doing that takes higher priorities then a top secret mission I have planned."

"Ah… Well I've been trying to find my inner zanpakuto, but I've been too afraid to continue my training… but a friend of mine found a place in Rukongai we could use as a training ground so we were going to head out there during the academy break. I hope that's alright."

"Sounds legit," she answered, eating a bowl of rice and pork hastily and she reminded you of an orphan girl you had taken in when you were human, but that is all in the past. That's probably why you didn't mind the fact that she was practically the opposite of what you assumed Lady Shihoin to be, so happy and collected and full of a bubby atmosphere. No wonder most of the division acted like this with you! It was like talking to friends except this was a squad. "You have permission, though I don't see why you had to come all this way to tell me this. I wouldn't have cared."

"I was told to," you smiled, sitting up in a comfortable position on your knees and sighing with relief. "I wouldn't want to be disrespectful either."

"Of course not – Oh! Kisuke, this is Torayasu Zuki. Zuki this is my friend and 3rd seat Urahara Kisuke," Yoruichi stated absentmindedly and you blinked a few times, your eyes looking more and more confused until you suddenly snapped your fingers and grinned.

"Ah hah! Didn't I see you leaving just an hour ago? Aren't you back quickly?" you laughed and looked over at Sui who seemed to be pouting to herself, probably disapproving over your decision, but sometimes you did have to take a break to fully find your center instead of dashing into every obstacle and opportunity and ending up getting killed for it.

"I haven't heard the name Torayasu in a while," Kisuke commented with a goofy smirk on his face and you raised an eyebrow at him, turning your attention to him.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"… _Yoruichi~!_" the man sang to get the woman's attention while she indulged in her dinner. "Who was that fellow that died a few years back?"

"Takeshi," she stated simply and you stared at the man in shock.

"My great grandfather was here?!"

"He was in the Onmitsukido," Yoruichi said as if she was recalling something, "and was my 2nd seat when I took over the Onmitsukido and the 2nd division."

"Huh… what happened?" you asked curiously and she set her bowl down.

"Died in the Rukongai sector. There was an outbreak of hallows and fought single handedly till every single one of them was dead."

"Brave man," Kisuke nodded and you smiled at the thought.

"Sounds like him," you smiled weakly before looking at the three of them and bowing your head. "Well I better get going. Thank you Yoruichi-sama."

"Sure," she waved and you took off while you ignored any sort of conversations they may have as you left and you rushed down the steps, breathing heavily as you thought about your great grandfather. Even he was here? With the Onmitsukido?! This all makes sense… but you did feel a bit sick to your stomach. You heard stories about him from your grandfather and to think you're walking in the same footsteps as that man. Was it coincidence that this is all happening? You don't know, but you're certainly enjoying what is to come.

! #$%^&*()

)(*&^%$# !

"Don't go around wearing that!" your brother shrieked, but you snorted and slumped your shoulders at his obviously annoyed attitude. Here he was in casual wear and you decided to wear your academy outfit. "Everyone will notice we are shinigami!"

"Well it was either this or the training outfit I have to wear in the house," you huffed and crossed your arms over your chest, "and in that outfit I would certainly be ostracized."

"Good thing I planned ahead!" he laughed, holding out a pink and white yukata that seemed to have faded away over time and use, but it was your size so you didn't question the outfit.

"Where did you get this? –"

"I told you," he snorted. "I hail from District 25. I know how one needs to walk around to blend in, but we'll have to hide our zanpakutos if we don't want to be spotted."

"Yeah, sure," you nodded, quickly stripping out of your clothes and into the new ones your brother gave you. He looked away, being the perfect lookout, and once you tied the light brown obi around your waist you gathered your clothes into your bag and was secretly glad you decided to bring the bag along.

"Here, I'll take the bag," he told you and you sighed and handed it over.

"Just don't lose anything."

"I wouldn't dare," he chuckled as the two of you crept out of your hiding places, Haruto dressed in a brown and dark green yukata that also looked faded, the outfits obviously of a poor quality, but certainly will do their justice of concealing your identities. Once the west gate was opened the two of you took off, blending into the hustle and bustle of the morning crowd and quickly making a beeline to your destination.

"… Are you trying to evade someone?" you asked him quietly and he gave you a look before smirking and shaking his head.

"Just in case one of your pals wants to follow us. I wouldn't be surprised if some shinigami overheard our conversation," he told you and you nodded your head. You felt a little bad since five people at least know that you'd be leaving and you wouldn't be surprised if someone was indeed trying to follow you… but you'll let that slide since you honestly wanted to get to this 'secret' place within Rukongai.

You were surprised when the two of you walked all day to District 5, which was a long and tiresome walk since most average souls could only walk the distance of one district in a day, but as the afternoon began to fall you noticed a group of children up ahead, which quickly turned into a group of suspicious ruffians… until they noticed your brother. "Haruto!" they all cried out and grabbed him in a hug, an _**'oomph!'**_ leaving his lips while you smirked that his space was quickly being invaded by seven children. "We've missed you!"

"Hello Mao, Cho… Anzu and Rin. It's been a while Dai, Sho, and Fudo," your brother smiled happily and they all ran up to you with their bright little eyes blinking in wonder and awe.

"Who's the pretty girl?"

"Pretty girl?! –"

"My older sister Zuki!" Haruto chuckled, wrapping his arm around your shoulder while you narrowed your eyes and growled at him. "The one I talked about!"

"Hello Zuki-san," a few of them bowed their heads, but you chuckled in the same sort of way Haruto did and patted two of them on the head.

"Zuki is just fine."

"Hey Haruto. Did you get us something good to eat?! –"

"_Perhaps~_, but first I want to see Ofukuro. Is she still around?"

"Yeah!" one of the little girls jumped and pointed to a house off in the distance. "She's making dinner with Midori."

"Thank you," he said simply and you quickly followed behind him, your brother giving you a wink as he knocked on the door and you suddenly felt so out of place. "Naomi!"

"Haruto it's been a while!" a dark brown haired woman explained, grabbing the boy in a tight hug before looking over at you curiously. "Who's this?"

"Ofukuro met my sister Zuki."

"Ah! So you finally found her. It's nice to meet you Zuki."

"Likewise Naomi, ma'am," you greeted, shaking her hand, and she giggled lightly, finding your formal words amusing.

"Come inside. Midori is at the kitchen."

Though when you did walk inside you noticed the house barely had room for everything, the kitchen taking up a quarter of the space and rolled up mats in the corner, indicating they slept on the floor once everything was put away and cleaned. You figured they showered somewhere nearby or not at all, but you gave them a smile as the lovely Naomi woman let you sit down by your brother while she walked into the kitchen and talked with Midori. You noticed once she turned her head that Midori looked exactly like Naomi. In fact they might even be twins! Naomi had blue eyes and Midori had brown, but even with those differences you would think they are practically identical twins. "Little Haru told us a lot about you."

"Did he now?" you gave him a questionable look and he chuckled nervously, avoiding your gaze.

"Poor boy. He was badly beaten and almost dead when we found him," Midori sighed deeply while Naomi set down some tea for the three of you, but went back to work in the kitchen and decided to keep quiet as the three of you talked.

"Beaten?" you pouted and she nodded her head. "Do you take care of all these children?"

"Yes. We all have to survive somehow," Midori stated and sipped on her tea. "No one really bothers us because we do take care of all of these kids. In fact many kind hearted villagers come by to help us from time to time. Very sweet."

"How nice," you smiled, but then shook your head, "but I doubt it's not like that all the time. Why did you let Haruto go to the academy?"

"He wanted to find his sister," she explained, "and we are happy you did, Haru!"

"Yes ma'am," he nodded, but you smirked and chuckled under your breath. "Actually there was something I wanted to ask the two of you. See we have the week off, but we wanted to train over there over the hill where no one dares to live," he began to explain and she gave him a curious look. "S-so with your permission my sister and I would humbly like to stay here for the week. We will do whatever you ask, be it chores or whatever!"

"Such a good boy," Naomi decided to intervene, "but you two go ahead and train in that little spot of yours. We won't get in the way, though we won't say the same about the kiddos," she winked and Haruto chuckled and sipped his tea.

"Thank you."

"Now do stay and rest yourselves. We don't mind if shinigamis stay with us as long as they're friends," Naomi instructed and you gave her a weak smile, your mind rambling on about many things like why he would be familiar with these people when he was supposedly from District 25 and why he was found almost dead. That thought made you cringe, but… you decided to let it go. Let the past live in the past, like it always should.

)(*&^%$# !

"… You trained here, didn't you?"

"Yep," he chuckled while you looked at the plains, or rather a desolate wasteland where the forest seemed to have been burned down and scorch marks still lingered as black marks on the brown earthy soil. "The forest had burned down before I was here anyways. Figured I would use this place for training. Besides, when you are accepted into the academy you need to resonate some sort of reiryoku. This is where I learned to do that."

"Interesting," you mumbled, hoping no one dared to show their faces. You already wasted a full day coming here and surely you'd waste another day trying to return. You only had three days to train… that didn't seem like a lot of time. "… Where do we start?"

"Meditation," he instructed, but you let out a whiny groan, which caused the boy to laugh and he innocently threw a rock in your direction, which you easily avoided without trying. "Don't sound so appalled! This is a safe place to look deep down into your heart, Yu-yuu. This is what you've needed, right?"

"I guess," you sighed, sitting down in a random spot where you hoped your body would be concealed by the others around you. You watched as Haruto sat a few feet away, directly across from you while you pouted and huffed, crossing your legs back into a meditative position. "… I can't concentrate with you sitting across from me like that."

"You're going to have to," he smirked deviously before closing his eyes and sighing, "because I need to train too… and maybe we can help each other." You nodded, but didn't say anything after that, closing your eyes and entering your mind where your deepest darkest fears laid and where you knew your zanpakuto lurked.

_The air around you was dark… damp… heavy… and hot. You felt like you were thrown into a furnace, a volcano that didn't burn your skin. You couldn't see. The world around you was empty… but as you lingered longer, blinking your bright purple eyes that seemed to shine tenfold in the darkness and help you see, you notice something moving, like a snake… but it wasn't a snake. It was something much more sinister… and larger. Its scales glimmered in the shine of your eyes, its claws scratching against the ground as if it was feeling the dirt for moving prey. You reached for something to arm yourself, but you didn't find anything. Not a sword, no dagger… just your fist and your brawn. It seemed to slither, but it strike like a cobra. You instantly reacted, moving to the side and jumping onto its back. In a flash you saw memories you never wanted to see again: your father and grandfather lying on the cold ground dead, and your aunt dying on her death bed. You saw the hollow that attacked you and your brother, a shimmer of a shinigami that you couldn't quite see fully… and the pain you felt when you were separated, screaming Haruto's name as you were pulled away to a place unknown. You could see all your failures and your fears: your ultimate fear was seeing Haruto die because you couldn't protect him. _

_You let out a scream, letting go of the coiling creature and_ when you opened your eyes you were on the ground, your eyes opened in shock while you were drenched in a hot sweat. "… You okay?" you heard Haruto ask, noticing his face now hovering over you while you felt your body sticking to the ground, turning slightly in pain to realize you had scorched the ground underneath you.

"I-I think so," you gulped, shaking in fright while he smiled and gave you a bucket of water to drink.

"Here," he mumbled as you quickly sat up, cringing in pain as if you had been burning alive, but you looked at your body and nothing externally looked like you had been on fire. Had you been on fire? You couldn't tell. "… How was it?"

"Miserable," you grumbled, drinking down the water heavily and coughing, rubbing your sore throat before gulping down some more.

"It gets easier over time," he chuckled and you gave him a curious look.

"You have the same problem as me?"

"We are family," he winked, but you shook your head and finished off the water in the bucket with one fuller gulp. "… We hold similar powers," he continued as you set the bucket down, wiping your lips and sighing contently, wishing you had more water to drink, "and while I know you are the strongest I realized it's probably harder for you to take control of your zanpakuto. That's why I figured this would be the best place to train… at least in a way that we won't hurt others."

"… Does anyone know? –"

"My new family knows some things," he smiled, looking at the house over the hill that currently wasn't visible, "but they wouldn't care talk about it, even in the village. Around here no one wants to get into trouble with the shinigamis. It's just best to keep one's mouth shut."

"Now I can understand how you lost that glimmer in your eyes," you commented, his eyes widening in shock while you snickered and shook your head. "You're a good boy, Haruto. I'm proud to have you as my brother, but you've turned cold. I don't know what happened and I know you probably don't want to tell me… but you adopted their last name, didn't you?"

"They owe me a lot," he bowed his head shamefully. "I'm sorry –"

"No worries," you chuckled. "That's how I feel about the Feng, yet I do know that I am different from them. I wouldn't dare call myself an actual Feng and I would rather just be myself."

"… The tiger sleeps peacefully under the shadow of the pagoda until it spots its prey and begins to stalk," the boy mumbled solemnly, looking up at the sky, and you smiled and sat back up, getting back into a comfortable position. "I never did feel like a tiger."

"You're just asleep," you winked, "and merely sleeping and stalking it's all that a tiger does. It does have cubs, has a family to protect. That, in a way, makes you a Torayasu… until a predator decides to show its face and you strike them down, swiftly and cleanly, without them ever taking notice."

"Thanks oneechan."

"No problem kid," you snickered, closing your eyes and letting out another tired sigh. This was going to be a long, agonizing experience.

)(*&^%$# !

! #$%^&*()

"… I'm going to get dinner," you heard your brother say, your eye peeking from your long bangs as you watched him stand up and leave you to your own devices. You sighed, scratched the back of your head, and let out a tired yawn. You barely made any progress today, but as the sun began to go down you felt reenergized. So you decided to just keep practicing, hoping the moonlight would do something to cool you down and light your way. Closing your eyes you reentered your mind, Haruto noticing over the ridge a tiny little light starting to illuminate and he smirked, continuing on his way back to the hut several feet down.

_You blinked. The world around you seemed… different, as if you have stepped into a new reality. The dark world around you looked brightened, like a sky without any stars or even a moon. You looked at your hands and noticed you were glowing, your bright lavender eyes looking over and wondering if you stepped into another reality. Suddenly you felt the air turn cold, your hands clutching your arms… until a pleasant scent caught your nose and you looked over to see a bright serpent in the sky… no, it was a dragon. Once it's bright purple eyes came upon you it swirled in the sky, drifting down as if it was flapping its wings and its face coming right in front of yours. Instead of being afraid you were awestricken. It was the most magnificent creature you ever saw, its black scales shimmering in the glow you radiated, its slit eyes staring into your own as if it was studying you. You noticed its claws were actually coated with a strange muck, silver in tone instead of black. You reached up a hesitant hand, feeling its hot breath against your palm and you almost flinched back, startled by how hot it was, but you crept closer until your palm was on its nose._

_It let out a roar, your body engulfing in flames, and you saw with widening eyes as the black coat lifted off of its body like melting paint, showing off beautiful colors of blues and purples and greens, reds, oranges, and yellows with whites igniting the creature as if it was on fire. You looked down at yourself, noticing you were on fire, and while it felt a little more than lukewarm you didn't feel like you were burning up, and your eyes wandered around to notice your world had illuminated, your feet on green grass and a soft breeze rolling over the green hill you were standing on. It was as if you were in the middle of nowhere, a wilderness full of life and tranquility, but feeling a snort you turned your head in surprise to see the dragon still staring at you, its bright purple eyes almost golden in color as it stared at you with an unsure look, testing who you are._

'_About time you listen to me~' you heard the dragon say and you put your hand down, pouting at its words._

"_I've been coming back here for ages now. What do you mean by that?! Y-you are gorgeous though… very pretty."_

'_You fear me because you hold fear in your heart,' you heard the dragon say, its eyes piercing your own until it began to swirl around you, slowly coiling around your body and causing the flames to grow hotter while it continued, 'but you have finally found peace~ with yourself.'_

"_Eh? I have?" you blinked in confusion, flinching as the dragon's face was an inch from your own, breathing in your face and you bit back a cough that wanted to erupt from your throat._

'… _The moon,' it spoke simply, looking up, and your eyes drifted upward to notice the bright full moon up ahead, 'it speaks to me~'_

"_H-hey my name means moon!" you giggled and its eyes looked at you curiously, a devious grin appearing on its face and you tried to hold the flinch your body made as it grinned at you like a predator. "… I think I get it then. Yin and yang, right? Sun and moon, day and night, light and darkness. Is that what you are?"_

'_I feed on the anger~' it hissed, its forked tongue licking your ear and you ended up giggling at the strange feeling, 'and the hate, the depression and disappointment in your heart~... as well as others,' it stated and stopped right in front of your face. 'The moment you found tranquility you have caught me. There is nothing for me to do except say my name.'_

_But when you heard the dragon say its name you pouted, the voice echoing in the breeze, yet nothing was heard._

'… _Didn't you hear sleeping tiger? It's –'_

_But once again you heard nothing and you reached out your head, determination in your eyes, and you watched its bright eyes close while you closed your own eyes to hear what it had to say._

"… **Reigekido**_," you spoke softly, a gasp entering your breath as your felt your body becoming engulfed in flames, a cry leaving your breath as_ you opened your eyes and looked around.

You were standing on your feet, your zanpakuto in your hand. You felt a reserve of your reiryoku waiting to be unleashed, the sword in your hand starting to pulsate as if it was waiting for you to speak. You smirked, staring up at the moon, noticing it was indeed a full moon and you grinned deviously. "_**Snarl~, Rei-ge-kido!**_" you yelled, your energy flowing into your sword. You clutched the tsuka tightly as you let out a yell, the surge of reiryoku overwhelming your body and you felt the zanpakuto transforming to take on the new energy. The zanpakuto turned into a pure black katana, a roaring flame ripping out of the blade as it swirled like a snake and curled around your body. Your body ignited as if you were a bonfire, but as you stood up you felt completely numb, even cool even. You looked at your hand, clutching your palm into a fist, your energy pouring out of you like a flowing river. Your eyes were glowing, purple and yellow like an amethyst glowing from the inside out, your black hair swirling around you in a wild fashion. Your teeth sharpened like canines, the fire eventually dying down to the point that only your blade was ignited and your skin was barely glowing. Strangely enough your clothes didn't combust and set on fire, though you could tell they were probably close to that point.

You turned, noticing a tree off in the distance, your eyes narrowing while you lifted up your sword. "haiiii…. iiiaaAAAIGH!" you yelled, your flame surging out of your sword like a thunderbolt, striking the tree and setting it on fire, a sigh leaving your lips as you flicked the black katana and you felt your reiryoku die down. You found a black sheath on the ground, picking it up and sliding the blade into its holder. You looked at your zanpakuto curiously. It was completely black, even the blade, and the ribbons around the handle was an elegant purple and red corresponding strings. You smirked, finding the item rather elegant, and with a tired sigh you felt the fire die down in your heart to a dull numbness, your soul still on fire as if you had sparked some sort of everlasting flame.

"Yuzuki!" you heard someone yell and you looked up the hill, noticing Haruto with a distressful look on his face as he ran down the hill, and the rest of the children stood at the top in shock and awe while the two elder women, who only looked to be in their late twenties, watched the boy run up to you, hesitantly, before grabbing you in a tight hug. "Are you okay?! –"

"Haruto it was amazing. I never felt so alive!" you giggled, showing off your new zanpakuto and he gave you a curious look. "Say hello to Reigekido," you grinned, the boy yelping as he felt the flames leap out of the saya, but he sighed once they died down and you snickered and slipped the katana into the folds of your obi. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah… just… I never suspected such power," he mumbled and you chuckled and patted him on the head.

"I need that power to protect you," you said simply and walked up the hill to leave him with his thoughts, the boy staring at you with an unsure face, looking down at his own zanpakuto that had turned into a small pure red tanto, almost crimson in color, and sighed in disbelief. He should have seen this coming, but… well he still had time to train with you. If you're going to be confident with that zanpakuto of yours you'll have to train with him before returning back to the academy.


End file.
